Here and There Blog

Desert Edge Brewery is located in Trolley Square and has food and beer for all in a casual setting. We went here for post event beer only so I can't speak for the food but I saw just as many non-beer drinkers there eating as beer drinkers so the food must be good. My favorite beer here is the Latter Days Stout, a nice, creamy stout without any need for nitro, flavors, or high alcohol trends to it. Call this a relaxing stout, one you can enjoy without having to analyze it. I also liked the Utah Pale Ale.  What a tasty beer!

Since I'm still in Canada, July 4th was a non-event for us and a full working day. Still at the end of the day it felt like something was needed so it was the restaurant next to the hotel for salad and beer. And in the spirit of the U.S.A., I ordered a Canadian beer.(Sleeman's Honey Brown) Go figure. One was enough since it had been a long day but it did the trick and was relaxing.  http://www.sleeman.ca/en/notoriously-good

PubCakes - Cupcakes here in San Diego using local San Diego craft beer as an ingredient. Match it up with a PubCake beer pairing and you end up with a really fun event. Featured on Cupcake Wars, this small start-up business has a good thing going and I wish them success. The event we went to was at KnB Wine Sellers, featuring Green Flash Palate Wrecker IIPA and Pubcakes made with said beer. This is one of the few events you don't see a table of dark beer surrounding all of us. It was there but we all ordered the pairing. Homer, Ms. Kitty and I are waiting to munch on food.  The PubCake. It looks small next to the beer but this was one good cupcake (description on the last photo)  Go Gretchen! To learn more about PubCakes click here: http://pubcakes.com/About.html

It never gets old. This coaster madness was inspired by Deadmau5 at the Grammy's. Other than that, a normal beer night at Karl Strauss with an Oatmeal Stout for me.  An a Red Trolley Ale for AussieMac. (less than amused that I made her do this) 

Two choices! The one on the left - Pilsner. A lame lager beer. The one on the right - Club. Slightly better than lame and almost okay when no other beers are around.

Time to try some Victoria brews! A specialty tour to showcase local beer!  First up - The Moon Under Water. A sampler of the pale ale and the light beer. Both tasty!  No, we didn't get to try them all. :(  First time I've ever set on the malt!  I'm not the only one taking pictures of beer.  A nice Nut Brown Ale.

Located in San Marcos, CA, The Lost Abbey tasting room offers multiple beer choices on tap for $4-$5 for a pint or $1 tasters. There are no seats so find a barrel and guard it closely as there are no tables either. What they do have is plenty of space and a variety that will find something for everyone. Featuring taps from both Lost Abbey and Port Brewing, you can also purchase hard to find bottles (22 oz), or fill up a growler to take home with you for later enjoyment. Cheers! Karen, Lisa, Keith, Becky, & Gretchen!

Harry's Bar @Dempsey's.  Thursday night, with friends after a good day at work! Tried the beer, it was the usual lager, but worked for a warm night!  Bonus for a local beer!

Kelowna has dozens of wineries but only one local craft beer company. Easily located downtown, Tree Brewing has a tasting room with a nice variety of the current brews. The first question asked when you arrive for a tasting is "Driver or Non-Driver?"  Non-drivers get a moderate pour (good since nothing is low alcohol) and the Nons' get a fill-up sampler. My favorites of the day were the Amber Ale and the Hop Head IPA. For more information on Tree Brewing click here

Rancho Bernardo is not known for much of anything but olive trees, golf, and unbelievably slow drivers. If you grew up there, you understand. So it was surprising that a beerpub opened up and since fun is not allowed in RB, we had to get there before it eventually disappears. Which is sad because the beer on tap offerings are impressive, especially with the local brewery spotlight this week on Ballast Point and Green Flash. The beer in my hand is a Ballast Point Piper Down Scottish Ale. Not something you get to try often. The most impressive thing?  The beer menu was updated at 5:38 pm and redistributed to everyone so that you knew what had run out and what was just added. Nice touch! The food was okay. I had fish tacos with sweet potato fries. I liked the bar side better than the restaurant side, more life even though the dining room was full. For those of you in the area that want to check it out go to: http://urgegastropub.com/

Ever since Oggi's opened up in Garden Grove, the work trips are a lot better.  The service isn't the best but the beer is faithfully good to the San Diego operations. Torrey Pines IPA, I salute you!  Ramez gets to try his first US microbrew. Sunset Amber Ale. It was approved.

Last night was the 22nd Anniversary party at the Karl Strauss Brewery and who could pass at the opportunity to taste new beer? Not me! First up (figured in case I was a light weight, I'd start strong) was the first and only pouring of the 23 Anniversary Ale that is getting locked in the barrel today to be unseen until next year. I was surprised how tasteless a "new" beer is and am looking forward to the final aged version. You can't drink good beer alone, so Homer joined me. Turns out I even ran into a friend and made some new ones. Drinking in a brewery can do that.  They even gave us a little beer book. I ended the night with a Full Suit Belgium Brown Ale.

The bus ride in was mostly farm fields and empty land. As we arrived closer to Budapest, small farm houses started to dot the landscape.  Us,  in the wind. The photo below was taken around 1:30 pm and the light was already fading from the day.  Local beer! The normal yellow fizzy beer but good enough to ward off the cold wind outside.  Mr. & Mrs. OB salute with Coke or Pepsi.  From the bus ride - the farm houses gave way to larger homes outside the city limits. In the city, on the Buda side.

Sherlock Holmes even has a pub inside the Ramses Hilton in Cairo. This was my first day without meetings, class, or travel scheduled and I used the morning to get caught up on work. But when the waiter in the lounge told me I was working too much and to stop, I listened, packed up and decided to see what beer was offered in the pub. Turns out it was Heineken.  I don't really like Heineken but after 14 days with no beer it was pretty tasty! Then I went local. Sakara Gold - the same lager that I dislike all over the world. Someday I'll stop trying local lagers. Mohammed tried to take away the bottle but I told him I needed a beer photo. He watched and then offered to take one of me and my beer.  Mohammed carefully aimed...I watched and said nothing....because it was funny.....and when the flash went off right in Mohammed's face, he realized he's taken a photo of himself. Of course there was no way I was deleting that!    Turning the camera around,  he got me...

Being the equal opportunity local brewery people that we are, this Friday night's dinner was at Stone Bistro in Escondido. I love how it is light enough to be outside for dinner. When we left, the sky was dark and the frogs were all sounding away in the pond below the seating area. Hey, the beer was good too!

Oh Oatmeal Stout! You are so best when unexpected! The 10th tap remained past March and into April where Ms.Kitty and I could enjoy the best of Carlsbad beer!

California style seems to have morphed into British Pub style for a relaxed dinner with friends/family/who ever is around and is in the mood for fun! This year it was at The Olde Ship in Santa Ana. Seated are Homer, me, Brian and Kathy. Cheers!

Alcohol is technically illegal in Pakistan except by special permit. So some hotels can serve beer/wine/spirits but it has to be in a secluded room. In our hotel, the room is 242. Even though beer is illegal, Pakistan has a brewery in Rawalpindi and we can order Murree Classic Tin (can) Murree Classic Bottle, or Murree Bottle (cheap lager). Of the three, we decided the green label one was the only one drinkable but I don't think I need to try them again.